THE Traitors is back on the box, with 22 new competitors in the sensational show’s fourth series, which started on New Year’s Day 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know about Stephen, who rewatched old series of The Traitors for inspiration before entering Ardross Castle.
Who is Stephen from The Traitors?
Stephen Libby is a 32-year-old cyber security consultant from London.
When asked why he applied, he told the BBC: “It’s one of those games that you can’t watch without putting yourself in it.
“There are certain shows where you’re screaming at the TV with every single decision that’s made, thinking, why have you done that? Or why have you said that? Or I could do better than that.
“I genuinely love this game. Maybe I’ve got a bit of a delusional kind of a sense that I can do really well in this.”
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On how he prepared for his time on The Traitors, Stephen said: “I’ve actually been rewatching some of the seasons, just to kind of get my head in the game and examine the certain things that people have done that were so normal to them but others found weird, so looking out for those little things that might arouse suspicion.
“I think a lot of the play really depends on who’s around you. You have to read the room really quickly at the beginning and previous players’ tactics may not work here.
“Also, people are going into this game now knowing a lot more about how the game works, and I think that really means you’ve got to come up with a new strategy, your own strategy.”
Asked about himself and what he’ll bring to the game, he explained: “I’m very personable. People seem to let their guard down around me very quickly when I first meet them.
“I think that’s partly due to having quite a regional accent that I think works in my favour.
“It might sound like quite a simplistic game plan to just make friends with everyone, but I do think that’s something that does come naturally to me.
“However, I’m also very competitive, and quite pragmatic, and I’m also taking the game seriously.
“I’m going to use what I feel is my quite innate talent to bring people close to solidify myself among the group, as someone that they would feel bad about getting rid of.”
And on what he’d do with the prize money, he added: “Firstly, I really want to give back to my parents. I was the first person in my family to go to university, and we weren’t a university family at all.
“Financially, it wasn’t something that we would really be able to do, but my parents really gave up a lot to push me through.
People seem to let their guard down around me very quickly when I first meet them
Stephen,
“I would love to be able to give back to my dad, who is the most incredible artist.
“He’s a butcher by trade but I would love to be able to just give him a chance to get away from that and really have more time to work on his art as much as possible.
“For myself, I’ve been in London now for eight years, and I’m getting to the point now where I’d like to be able to get on the property ladder.”
Who are the other contestants on The Traitors?
- Adam, 34, a builder and ghost hunter from Essex who applied after watching the show and thinking “I can do that”
- Amanda, 57, a retired police detective from Brighton who wanted to be a Traitor
- Ben, 66, retired, from Hampshire, believes he can spot a liar because of his military training
- Ellie, 33, a psychologist from London who thinks she is the first member of her profession on The Traitors
- Faraaz, 22, an internal auditor from Middlesbrough who plans to stay loyal at first, before doing what needs to be done later on, as “the game’s the game”
- Fiona, 62, a local government officer from Swansea who believes she has the ability to spot a liar
- Harriet, 52, a crime writer and former barrister from London who thinks her job experience puts her in good stead for the competition
- Hugo, 51, a barrister who was born in Cardiff and lives in London who is “obsessed” with The Traitors
- Jack, 29, a personal trainer from Essex who says he’s the “dark horse” of this year’s contestants
- Jade, 25, a PhD student from the West Midlands who is a self-proclaimed “gamer by heart”
- James, 38, a gardener from Weymouth who’s always “analysing and processing”
- Jessie, 28, a hairstylist from Hull who’s not scared to “backstab people” if necessary
- Judy, 60, a child liaison officer from Doncaster who believes being a Traitor “might be fun”
- Matthew, 35, a creative director from Edinburgh who wants to stay part of the wider group
- Maz, 59, a civil servant from Preston who is not certain of his ability to spot liars every time
- Netty, 42, a nursery school teacher from Glasgow who is worried that she may be too easy to read
- Rachel, 42, a head of communications from County Down who’s prepared to go to great lengths to win the prize
- Reece, 27, a sweet shop assistant from Sheffield who is planning “remodel his personality” to be effective in the game
- Ross, 37, a sales executive and personal trainer from London will ‘hide in plain sight’
- Roxy, 32, a recruiter from Amsterdam who aims to be true to herself and stay inside her moral sphere
- Sam, 34, an account manager from North Yorkshire who watched every season in preparation to see how “good and bad Traitors played the game”
What is The Traitors prize money?
Airing in January 2025, last civilian series of The Traitors (series 3) had a maximum prize pot of £120,000.
The amount the winner took home depended on the contestants’ success in the daily missions.
For this year’s instalment, The BBC confirmed the contestants are once again competing for the chance to win up to a whopping £120,000.
